San Francisco Personal Injury Lawyerhttp://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com
Contact San Francisco accident attorney Claude Wyle if you've been injured as a result of the negligence of a corporation or individual. Serving San Francisco and the entire Bay Area.Sun, 11 Jun 2017 21:21:59 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1In the Middle of a Lawsuit For Violation of Trade Secrets Brought By Google, Uber Discharges Levandowski, Their Star Self-Driving Car Engineerhttp://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/in-the-middle-of-a-lawsuit-for-violation-of-trade-secrets-brought-by-google-uber-discharges-levandowski-their-star-self-driving-car-engineer/
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/in-the-middle-of-a-lawsuit-for-violation-of-trade-secrets-brought-by-google-uber-discharges-levandowski-their-star-self-driving-car-engineer/#commentsSun, 11 Jun 2017 21:21:59 +0000http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/?p=1294[...]]]>Late last month, Uber announced it had fired Anthony Levandowski, a star engineer brought in to lead the Uber self-driving automobile efforts. Levandowski is accused of stealing trade secrets from his prior employer, Google and has been in the spotlight as we watch a clash of titans.

Levandowski left Google to start his own company, Otto, which was later acquired by Uber for nearly $700 million last year, now the subject of one of the most closely watched lawsuits in

Silicon valley, pitting Google, one of the world’s most powerful companies, against Uber, a richly financed disruptive force in the technology world.

The stakes are high, not just for Levandowski and Uber, but also for Google, a pioneer in autonomous car technology, having spent nearly a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars on their self driving car effort, now branded as Waymo.

Uber, valued at $70 billion, believes the future of their company hinges on their self driving car efforts.

The firing of Levandowski doesn’t just call Uber’s future into question, but also casts doubt on the entire “star engineer” culture of Silicon Valley, where supposed prized talent can fetch high dollars for a relatively small candidate pool (Uber paid $680,000,000 mostly in company equity, for Otto’s technology and the engineers behind the product, including Levandowski). Levandowski was also entitled to receive a percentage of profits earned from a self-driving trucking business that Uber is building.

But, just months after the acquisition, Waymo sued Uber in civil court, claiming that Uber was using trade secrets stolen from Google, aided by Levandowski.

Uber has denied such allegations, and Levandowski has asserted his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self incrimination. After months of attempting to pressure Levandowski into cooperating with Waymo, Uber decided to fire Levandowski.

“Over the last few months Uber has provided significant evidence to the court to demonstrate that our self-driving technology has been built independently. Over that same period, Uber has urged Anthony to fully cooperate in helping the court get the facts and ultimately helping to prove our case. We take our obligations under the court very seriously, and so we have chosen to terminate his employment at Uber.” Said Angela L. Padilla, associate general counsel for employment and litigation at Uber.

While I cannot state why Uber has decided to let Levandowski go, what is eminently clear is that Uber’s decision is likely to put a real damper on Uber’s plan to develop the self-driving car or truck. The debate rages hotly as to whether self-driving cars are going to reduce auto accidents and injuries on a national level, and whether companies who manufacture self-driving cars should enjoy immunity from lawsuits for injuries and even wrongful deaths caused by driverless cars or trucks. Some argue that because driver error is the number one cause of vehicular injury and death, then self-driving vehicles will all but eliminate injuries caused by negligent drivers. While this idea may seem appealing to some, I abhor any immunity granted to anyone or any company or any entity, because if a party negligently harms another, that negligent party should pay, not the injured party. I would greatly like to know what you think, and welcome your comments.

]]>http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/in-the-middle-of-a-lawsuit-for-violation-of-trade-secrets-brought-by-google-uber-discharges-levandowski-their-star-self-driving-car-engineer/feed/1Graco Recalls Over 25,000 Car Seats Due To Increased Chance Of Child Injury During Crashhttp://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/defective-dangerous-products/graco-recalls-over-25000-car-seats-due-to-increased-chance-of-child-injury-during-crash/
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/defective-dangerous-products/graco-recalls-over-25000-car-seats-due-to-increased-chance-of-child-injury-during-crash/#commentsMon, 05 Jun 2017 21:28:06 +0000http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/?p=1297[...]]]>Graco, a nation-wide name in children’s car seats, is recalling more than 25,000 car seats because potentially inadequate restraint systems may increase the risk of injury for children The Graco recall, announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, noted that the webbing in the Graco “My Ride 65” car seats failed to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and that such failure could cause an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

25,494 Graco My Ride 65 seats have been recalled in total, produced between May and August 2014, and include model numbers: 1871689, 1908152, 1813074, 1872691, 1853478, 1877535, 1813015 and 1794334. Owners can also identify recalled seats by their webbing code tags of 2014/06.

“In the event of a serious motor vehicle crash, the harness webbing restraining the child may break resulting in a child not being properly restrained,” the agency noted.

If your car seat is subject to the recall, you can go to www.gracobaby.com/myride-harness-recall/ to order a free replacement kit, or call the customer services line at Graco, at 1-800-345-4109. Graco notes that consumers can continue to use their My Ride 65 car seats while waiting for a replacement kit.

As a product liability and child safety attorney, I am heartened by the fact that NHTSA has been diligent and found a potential for child injury and issued a recall. I wonder, though, how a nationally famous manufacturer of child seats can possibly make a product where the webbing or the seat belt part of the seat is defective and potentially dangerous to children in the event of a crash? This recall underlines both the importance of NHTSA and also the civil justice system. Without civil attorneys who are willing to take on big corporations when those corporations needlessly endanger our families, the safety of our families is always at risk.

]]>http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/defective-dangerous-products/graco-recalls-over-25000-car-seats-due-to-increased-chance-of-child-injury-during-crash/feed/0Three Deadly Traffic Accidents In The Bay Area In One Weekend Show That The Epidemic of Tragedy Still Continues; I Think Distracted Driving is To Blame.http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/three-deadly-traffic-accidents-in-the-bay-area-in-one-weekend-show-that-the-epidemic-of-tragedy-still-continues-i-think-distracted-driving-is-to-blame/
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/three-deadly-traffic-accidents-in-the-bay-area-in-one-weekend-show-that-the-epidemic-of-tragedy-still-continues-i-think-distracted-driving-is-to-blame/#commentsFri, 02 Jun 2017 20:35:05 +0000http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/?p=1287[...]]]>The San Francisco Bay Area continues to be plagued by fatal traffic accidents, after a total of three deadly crashes occurred within a five hour span earlier this month.

The first, a crash where at least one person died on northbound Highway 880, south of Marina Blvd in San Leandro.

The second, on the Octavia on-ramp to southbound Highway 101 in San Francisco.

And the third, on northbound Highway 880, involving a delivery truck.

Just what is happening here? As cities around the San Francisco Bay Area continue to fight for the Vision Zero plan, looking to end traffic fatalities on our roads in three short years, there seems to be an epidemic of tragedy. With more people moving to the Bay Area each day, commuting many miles to and from work, how do we, as a community, work together to prevent these tragic events, and start working towards a safer tomorrow?

As we all work on reducing serious personal injuries and wrongful death in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area, why does it seem that the number of tragedies is actually increasing? I find it deplorable that, as I am riding my bicycle or motorcycle, or even trying to cross the street as a pedestrian in the crosswalk, I see countless drivers actually holding their phones to their heads or looking down at their phones to read a text message. And with all of the devices in the Lyft cars or in the Uber cars, how are these drivers supposed to keep their eyes on the road? Is the only answer to the plague of fatal accidents to make all vehicles drive themselves? That also seems so wrong to me on so many levels. Let’s put down the phones and tablets and keep our eyes on the road, and try to end distracted driving!

]]>http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/three-deadly-traffic-accidents-in-the-bay-area-in-one-weekend-show-that-the-epidemic-of-tragedy-still-continues-i-think-distracted-driving-is-to-blame/feed/0Joe Montana Sues San Francisco Millennium Tower Developers For Intentional Concealment of Defectshttp://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/defective-dangerous-products/joe-montana-sues-san-francisco-millennium-tower-developers-for-intentional-concealment-of-defects/
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/defective-dangerous-products/joe-montana-sues-san-francisco-millennium-tower-developers-for-intentional-concealment-of-defects/#commentsTue, 30 May 2017 20:31:58 +0000http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/?p=1281[...]]]>Sports legend Joe Montana is the latest in a long line of individuals to sue over San Francisco’s embattled Millennium Tower, alleging in his filing this month that the building’s developer intentionally concealed evidence of the building’s sinking, all while pushing the former football star to promote condominium sales for the company. It would seem that in addition to purchasing a condo in a defective building, Joe might have also been duped into marketing the building for the developer.

Montana and his wife got a reduced price to lease the condo in 2010, with an opportunity to buy three years later, in exchange for promotional pitches for the tower and to allow the developer use of their names in marketing materials.

Montana’s suit contends that Millennium Partners, the tower’s developers, knew of the building’s problems as early as 2008, yet did not disclose them to residents or publicly until the building had sunk 16 inches, tilting two inches at its base last year.

Montana is seeking $2.7 million in reimbursement for buying the condo, and an additional $1 million in consequential damages from marketing, among other forms of compensation. The suit also names the Transit Joint Powers Authority, a public transportation center next to the high-rise, as well as the San Francisco’s building inspection office, and alleges that neither organization was transparent about the issues.

]]>http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/defective-dangerous-products/joe-montana-sues-san-francisco-millennium-tower-developers-for-intentional-concealment-of-defects/feed/0Serious Personal Injuries and One Fatality In California Big Rig Crashhttp://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/uncategorized/serious-personal-injuries-and-one-fatality-in-california-big-rig-crash/
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/uncategorized/serious-personal-injuries-and-one-fatality-in-california-big-rig-crash/#commentsFri, 12 May 2017 00:44:31 +0000http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/?p=1278[...]]]>A big rig driver crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic last April in Los Feliz, California, in a fatal big rig crash, killing one person and causing serious personal injuries to ten others in a firey crash which ended up impacting eight vehicles near the 134 Freeway. This California truck collision sparked a massive fire, scattering debris across all lanes of the road.

“This was a significant, firey and fatal traffic collision” said Erik Scott, spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

It is currently unclear how the incident happened, but I would like to know how it was that this commercial truck collision occurred.

“We don’t have a clear sequence” said Jose Nunez, spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

Investigators do know that the truck was traveling north just before it crossed into the southbound lanes of traffic, hitting a second big rig, which caused a cascade effect, involving other vehicles traveling the same direction, but still have yet to understand exactly what caused the big rig to swerve in the first. In all, three passenger vehicles, three big rigs, a van, and a black truck were all involved in the crash.

A witness claims that a Toyota Prius may have actually cut off the northbound big rig, causing it to swerve and careen over the center divider.

“It is going to be an extensive amount of time to sort everything out” said Nunez.

First, allow me to express my sincere condolences to the family of the person killed in this truck crash and to wish the other survivors a quick and complete recovery. This story is a sad example of how many factors can contribute to a collision and how the truth as to what happened in a multi-vehicle crash is not always so obvious. At first, I thought this crash must be all the truck driver’s fault, but learning that the truck driver may have been cut off first, makes me ask many more questions. Let’s all hope that the CHP team sort the facts out, and that the survivors of this horrible California big rig crash get the right attorneys to investigate the collision and make the responsible parties accountable.

]]>http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/uncategorized/serious-personal-injuries-and-one-fatality-in-california-big-rig-crash/feed/0BMW Recalls X5 and X6 Sports Activity Vehicles For Potentially Dangerous Defectshttp://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/defective-dangerous-products/bmw-recalls-x5-and-x6-sports-activity-vehicles-for-potentially-dangerous-defects/
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/defective-dangerous-products/bmw-recalls-x5-and-x6-sports-activity-vehicles-for-potentially-dangerous-defects/#commentsFri, 05 May 2017 17:40:46 +0000http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/?p=1274[...]]]>BMW has just released a notice to all owners of their BMW X5 Sport Activity Vehicles manufactured between 2011-2013, and X6 Sport Activity Vehicles manufactured between 2011-2014, encouraging owners to bring in their cars to replace a potentially dangerous front drive shaft (Recall Campaign No. 17V-138)

As described in the notice, the X5 and X6 universal joints in the front drive shaft may not have been produced to BMW approved specifications and as a result, could pose a hazard if the parts were to break. If this occurs, the front axle will no longer have power available from the engine, which could result in a potential crash and injury to the driver, passengers, or others on the road.

Owners may have already noticed the early warning signs of this front axle failure, which BMW describes as “noise and/or vibration and, subsequently, by a loss of power to the front axle.”

BMW advises that should this occur while driving, to carefully move away from traffic and pull over to a safe location as soon as possible.

BMW will replace the front drive shaft in affected cars free of charge, and the procedure will take approximately three hours. If you believe your car to be affected by this recall, you are encouraged to contact BMW immediately.

]]>http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/defective-dangerous-products/bmw-recalls-x5-and-x6-sports-activity-vehicles-for-potentially-dangerous-defects/feed/0Two Bay Area Motorcyclists Killed In Napa This Past Weekend: Rider Error or Other Factors Also?http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/uncategorized/two-bay-area-motorcyclists-killed-in-napa-this-past-weekend-rider-error-or-other-factors-also/
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/uncategorized/two-bay-area-motorcyclists-killed-in-napa-this-past-weekend-rider-error-or-other-factors-also/#commentsTue, 02 May 2017 17:41:04 +0000http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/?p=1275[...]]]>Two motorcycle riders were killed last weekend in Napa County in two separate fatal motorcycle crashes, both due apparently to the riders crossing into opposing lanes of traffic, and colliding with oncoming vehicles, according to the California Highway Patrol. First of all, our condolences go out to the families of these two fallen bikers.

Strangely, these two motorcycle fatalities bring the total number of motorcycle crashes to five in Napa County between Friday and Sunday, according to CHP Officer Marc Renspurger.

The first incident involved a 31 year old man from Fairfield, who died after crashing into a vehicle near Lake Berryessa. He crossed a double yellow line on a curve, striking a Honda pickup truck driven by a 65 year old woman from Napa. The driver and her passenger were not injured. The rider was pronounced dead later that day at the Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa. We have to look at how this tragedy might have been avoided. Was it only rider error that caused this motorcycle death? Was the road slightly wet? Was the striping fresh and extra slippery? Were there any remnants of roadway construction? Or was it all rider error? I would sincerely like to know, so that we can learn from this crash and help to prevent future motorcycle injuries and deaths.

The second, involved a 34 year old woman from San Francisco, who was riding out of Napa Valley when she lost traction on a curve and slid into the oncoming lane of traffic, colliding with a Dodge pickup. The driver attempted to swerve but could not avoid the bike. The rider was killed during the incident. I wish to offer our sincere condolences to the family of this woman, who was killed on her bike, and I also want to ask the question: Was there any other cause in addition to what seems like obvious rider error? Could the road have had gravel or potholes or other dangerous defects, and could this have contributed to this rider’s losing control and sliding into oncoming traffic?

While so many people are so very quick to blame motorcycle riders, it is our job here at Choulos Choulos & Wyle to look beyond the obvious and to try to look at the entire picture and all of the factors which might have caused motorcycle injuries and motorcycle fatalities. I sincerely hope that we get to learn more about how these two terrible motorcycle collisions happened, so that we might learn from this tragic story and try to take steps to prevent future injuries and deaths.

]]>http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/uncategorized/two-bay-area-motorcyclists-killed-in-napa-this-past-weekend-rider-error-or-other-factors-also/feed/0California Motorcyclist Decapitated In Freak Accidenthttp://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/uncategorized/california-motorcyclist-decapitated-in-freak-accident/
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/uncategorized/california-motorcyclist-decapitated-in-freak-accident/#commentsFri, 28 Apr 2017 17:20:25 +0000http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/?p=1270[...]]]>According to the San Bernardino Police Department, a motorcyclist suffered fatal injuries this past Tuesday morning in San Bernardino, California, when wires knocked down by another motorist decapitated the motorcyclist as he was riding down the road.

The fatal motorcycle accident happened shortly after 9:00am, after a man driving a Ford Taurus south on Adams street, north of Macy street, lost control of his vehicle, striking a mailbox, and driving across the front yard of a home along the side of the street. The crashed car continued down Adams until it struck a utility pole, sending wires across the roadway.

A few minutes later, the motorcyclist, also traveling South, encountered the downed pole, hitting the wires, which decapitated him. Our sincere condolences go out to the family of this slain motorcycle rider.

This story is shocking, but collisions between motorcycles and fallen wires are not as rare an event as you might have previously thought. I personally have recently handled a case on behalf of a Sacramento motorcyclist who lost his leg after striking a guy wire to a utility pole, as well as another case where a San Bruno motorcycle rider suffered a severely dislocated arm after being hung up by a telephone wire that had fallen loose between a house and a pole. While it is clearly not the motorcyclist’s fault when they encounter a wire in an unforeseen place, the legal issue is usually about how the wire came to be hanging into the roadway.

The driver of the Ford Taurus did not appear to be under the influence, and was taken into custody following the incident. What caused the Ford driver to crash and to down the wire has not been released by the press.

]]>http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/uncategorized/california-motorcyclist-decapitated-in-freak-accident/feed/0Mitsubishi Outlander and Subaru Imprezas On List of 2017 Safety Recallshttp://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/mitsubishi-outlander-and-subaru-imprezas-on-list-of-2017-safety-recalls/
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/automobile-accidents/mitsubishi-outlander-and-subaru-imprezas-on-list-of-2017-safety-recalls/#commentsWed, 26 Apr 2017 17:12:40 +0000http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/?p=1268[...]]]>Fans of both the Mitsubishi Outlander and Subaru Impreza better get ready for a trip to their dealer, after these car companies rolled out recalls for door latch glitches, and engine control software, as further detailed below:

Mitsubishi Outlander: Nearly 36,000 Outlander and Outlander Sport vehicles from the 2016 model year are being recalled after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that Mitsubishi Crossover doors may not properly latch, creating the possibility that they could open while the vehicle is in motion.

The door latch was manufactured by the Ansei Corporation, of Japan, and although appear to work under normal, temperate, conditions, may malfunction in warmer weather, which could prevent the latch from remaining fastened. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries linked to this problem, however a door that won’t stay closed is clearly a safety hazard.

If you own one of these vehicles and have further questions, you’re encouraged to call Mitsubishi customer service at 1-888-648-7820 and ask about recall SR-17-002. You can also call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 and inquire about safety campaign #17V-233.

Subaru Impreza: Also, over 33,000 Subaru Imprezas have been recalled to fix a software issue that may lead to stalled engines, according to the National Traffic Safety Administration.

Subaru has released a stop-sale order for all new, unsold Imprezas effected by the recall, where premature vaporization of some winter fuel blends could cause issues with the engine control unit. The dealership will reprogram engine control free of charge for all effected cars.

The toys were sold at Target stores nationwide, from February 2017 through March 2017, for about $1.00. Target advises consumers to take these toys away from children immediately and return them to any Target store for a full refund.

The toys, which are small enough for children to ingest, can expand inside of a child’s body, causing intestinal obstructions, severe discomfort, vomiting, and dehydration, which could be life-threatening depending on their severity. Surgery may also be required to remove the toy.